Hartford city council demands answers, oversight of police after accountability decree ends
The Hartford City Council is seeking answers on why Mayor Luke Bronin sought to end a 50-year-old federal decree on police accountability.
“We wanted to make sure we get some answers,” councilman TJ Clarke II said, after the council passed a resolution on the issue. “I was disappointed with the judge’s decision; the intent of this resolution is for us as council members and the public to be able to see what the city presented to the judge as to why the consent decree was allowed to sunset.”
The city council had passed a resolution supporting the continuation of the decree before a judge brought the ruling to an end at the request of city’s corporation counsel.
The federal consent decree Cintron v. Vaughn, initiated in a 1969 lawsuit, alleged Hartford police were waging a campaign of humiliation and discrimination against the city’s minority residents. Settlement of the case resulted in the federal consent decree pushing for more accountability when officers are involved in shootings and more diversity among officers..
The decree was set to expire and extended several times, most recently in October 2022. In 2016 the decree was extended, with the court finding the city in contempt of the decree due to a majority-white police force. Officers of color continue to make up a minority of the department’s sworn personnel and city advocacy groups filed a motion of contempt before the 2022 date. .
The plaintiffs’ motion argued the city was not upholding the Cintron decree requirement to promote diversity in recruiting since the Hartford Police Department is compromised of just 12% Black officers. But according to the defendant opposition brief, signed by city corporation counsel Howard Rifkin, the city objected to the motion for contempt because the updated 2010 Cintron settlement agreement did not outline a clear standard to be met in recruiting and that it contained “no matrices or numerical standards for recruitment and promotion of any group of individuals.”
In addition, the city argues in the brief it has made great strides in recruitment and promotion of diverse candidates with examples of recent police cadet classes showing high percentages of minority representation. While acknowledging challenges in staffing shortages and recruiting officers, the city also states that having a police department “that exactly mirrored the community” was unlikely to happen before the case ended.
With the decree ended, the city council is looking to preserve its guidance on transparency, accountability and diversity.
The resolution calls for “the City of Hartford implements its own procedures and policies, that align with the 1973 consent decree, to ensure residents of the city that their police force accurately represents the diversity in our community, alongside ensuring other provisions, as outlined within the consent decree, are being met …”
Clarke, who introduced the resolution along with council member Shirley Surgeon, said he included language demanding the department provide information both to the council and the public. Under the resolution, the department would provide biannual reports to the council with updates on its efforts.
“The council body should know the progress being made,” Clarke said. “Recruitment is one of the more vocal components of the decree, but it’s not the only part of it. It’s my intention to get a good overall report of where things are and what progress still needs to be made.”
The resolution also demands the department communicate policy reforms and hiring on the department’s website, allowing for greater transparency to the public.
“One thing I am pushing for is information on the newest police recruiting classes to be posted on the department’s website,” Clarke said. “What does the makeup of new recruits look like? What is the percentages of new recruits in terms of race, ethnicity, age? How many are Hartford residents? This way people can know what that actually looks like for each recruiting class.”
U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley issued the ruling striking down the motion for contempt and letting the 50-year-old court order end.
“It’s important to recognize that the Cintron settlement wasn’t just about recruitment, it was also about promoting transparency and accountability, increasing civilian oversight, and embracing best practices in policing, and while that work is never done, the Hartford Police Department has been a leader in those areas here in Connecticut,” Bronin said in a statement previously reported in the Courant.
The resolution has been referred to the Quality of Life & Public Safety Committee. At the committee’s next meeting, city attorney Rifkin and chief Thody will be answering questions from members on the now-former consent decree, according to Clarke.
“The Hartford Police Department continues to proactively strive for increased diversity,” Thody said. “We are one of few departments with a dedicated and diverse Recruitment Division, consisting of a lieutenant, a sergeant and an officer. While this has been a difficult time when it comes to recruiting police officers, overall we are seeing more diverse classes and our minority representation continues to increase”
The next committee meeting is scheduled for next month but no date has been agreed upon due to ongoing budget meetings.
Stephen Underwood can be reached at sunderwood@courant.com
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